PAYSON, Ariz. – At the start of day two for the Stren Western Division event on Lake Roosevelt, Tonto saw more than a lone Ranger. Actually, there were several Ranger boats, along with a handful of other brands, all staffed by anglers seeking the bass bounty of the Tonto Basin – an oblong canyon in which the impoundment resides.
Day one saw a slow start with few limits, as the lingering effects of a cold front that arrived a day before the event had the fish discombobulated. Co-angler leader Vu Au of Tuscon, Ariz. said most of his bites were light and nearly imperceptible. That’s the classic post-frontal disposition for bass – at least for those that decide to eat.
Fortunately, today’s sunny weather will warm the lake and the fish are likely to respond. The warming 
trend will continue into the weekend and Saturday’s final round should see the highest level of opportunity. However, this improvement will be too little too late, in terms of bass spawning movements. Prior to the cold front, several anglers had located big fish in shallow spawning mode. The cold snap pushed these fish back and they’re unlikely to return in any significant numbers before the tournament’s conclusion.
Payson pro Clifford Pirch said the effects of the temperature drop and the high winds that have blown for the past week have left Lake Roosevelt very unsettled. He’s not looking for any big turn-around; just a gradual improvement.
“I really can’t see the fish returning to the spawning after just two days of warmer weather,” Pirch said. “I think they’ll need a week of solid warmth.”
Less than an hour after the 6:30 a.m. launch, boats were already congregating in productive coves and creek mouths. In such close quarters, staking one’s claim will be essential for accessing the best points, bars, banks and brush.
One of the most popular areas will be the vast range of flooded timber at the lake’s north end. Here, anglers will weave their way through an aqueous maze of trees overtaken by the lake’s historic high water level. Bass may be holding anywhere from the outer edges facing the main lake, to deep within shoreline cover less than a rod length from dry ground.
Here and in other hot spots, anglers will lack not for company, as the view from Hwy. 188 running along the lake’s western edge shows boats working in conversational proximity. The obvious downside is that the excessive pressure can upset the fish. That can be bad for everyone, but Phoenix
pro Don McBride – currently second with 15 pounds, 14 ounces – has a strategy for dealing with this vexation.
“The fish will get tighter to the structure, they’ll get deeper and move to the base of the trees,” he said. “When they’re not pressured, they’ll roam around a little, but when they get this kind of pressure (in windy conditions), they’ll get right on the bottom of a trunk.”
McBride said he’ll stick with the flooded timber all day and just pick his way through to what he hopes is another strong limit. In addition to rooted vegetation, he’s also working the water beneath floating debris ranging from wind-torn tree bark to entire floating trees.
Reno, Nev. pro Duane Dunstone brings a 13-ounce lead into day two. He caught his 16-pound, 11-ounce day one limit by Texas rigging Berkley PowerBaits. His strategy comprised working through a designated area once and then going back over it as the fish set up in various positions throughout the day.
At the morning launch, rods held a diverse array of baits ranging from jigs, to blades to swimbaits. Antioch, Calif. pro Kenneth Roa has a one-two punch planned for the Roosevelt bass, starting with a twitchbait.
“Hopefully, I can get a reaction bite and get the fish warmed up and get them on a feeding binge,” he said. “I’m going to try to find them with the twitchbait and then work down with the shaky head.”
Logistics
Anglers will take off from Cholla Recreation Site located five miles northwest of the Roosevelt Dam on Hwy. 188 in Roosevelt, Ariz. at 6:30 each morning. Friday’s weigh-ins also will be held at Cholla Recreation Site beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 300 North Beeline Hwy. in Payson, Ariz. beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The Lake Roosevelt Stren Series tournament is hosted by the Town of Payson. The entire field 
competes for the first two days of Stren Series events. The top 10 professionals and co-anglers continue competition on day three, and the winner in each division is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all three days.
Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $7,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.
Co-anglers will cast for a top award of a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer. If the co-angler meets the Ranger Cup guidelines, they will earn an additional $5,000. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $2,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.
Friday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 5:51 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 43 degrees
Expected high temperature: 62 degrees
Water temperature: 61-64 degrees
Wind: from the WSW to WNW at 15-20 mph
Humidity: 25 percent
Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy, then sunny